H.R. 8870
BUILD America 250 Act
Sponsor: Sam Graves
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America's 250th Act or the BUILD America 250 Act
This bill authorizes federal surface transportation (highway, public transportation, and rail) programs and activities through FY2031. The bill also establishes or modifies Department of Transportation (DOT) programs and policies that are a part of the federal-aid highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, research, hazardous materials, and rail programs.
For example, the bill authorizes appropriations through FY2031 out of the Highway Trust Fund for the federal-aid highway program, the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program, highway safety programs, and bridge programs. The bill also authorizes funding through FY2031 for Amtrak. Current authorization for these programs expires on September 30, 2026.
Among other provisions, the bill
- establishes a Surface Transportation Accelerator Grant (STAG) discretionary program to fund surface transportation projects in rural, urban, local, and regional communities;
- requires the Federal Highway Administration to impose a new annual electric vehicle (EV) registration fee, starting at $130 for a covered EV and $35 for a covered plug-in hybrid vehicle;
- exempts automated driving system technology and equipment from vehicle width requirements;
- establishes a consolidated state block grant program that allows DOT to allocate a lump sum to participating states to fund public transportation services in rural and urbanized areas;
- allows state rail safety inspectors to conduct railroad bridge inspections; and
- establishes a system for state, local, and tribal governments to report safety concerns about the condition of railroad bridges.
Text of the bill
I Federal-Aid Highways
A Authorizations and Programs
B Improved Project Delivery and Environmental Streamlining
C Miscellaneous
II Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation
III Public Transportation
A Reforms
B Miscellaneous
C Reorganization and Consolidation of Chapter 53
IV Highway Safety
V Motor Carriers
A General Provisions
B Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators
C Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety
D Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Reform
E Safe Integration of Autonomous Commercial Motor Vehicles
VI Innovation
VII Freight and Multimodal Transportation Programs
A Freight Policy
B Multimodal Policy and Programs
VIII Miscellaneous
IX Sport Fishing and Recreational Boating Safety
X Railroads and Hazardous Materials
A Authorization of Appropriations and Grant Reforms
B Amtrak Reforms
C Passenger Rail Policy
D Rail Safety and Innovation
Section 20156 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
(i) Review
(1) Internal assessments. The Secretary shall require railroad carriers covered under this section to annually submit an internal assessments report of the carrier’s railroad safety risk reduction program plan.
(2) Sufficiency of plan. Upon receipt of the report submitted under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall determine whether the plan is sufficient to reduce the number and rates of railroad accidents or incidents, injuries, and fatalities.
(3) Considerations. In making the determination under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall consider—
(A) whether the plan systematically evaluates railroad safety hazards involving the operation of a freight train on the carrier’s system, and reflects planned significant operational changes that would impact such safety hazards; and
(B) whether the processes and procedures developed and implemented by the railroad carrier’s railroad safety risk reduction program plan manages the risks associated with such safety hazards.
(j) Safety trend analysis
(1) Annual review. The Secretary shall conduct an annual review of the prior 5 calendar years’ reportable incidents, accidents, injuries, and fatalities and conduct an analysis to determine if any specific safety trends exist in the reportable incidents, accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
(2) Publication. Upon concluding the safety trend analysis, the Secretary shall publish the analysis on a public website of the Federal Railroad Administration and notify any rail carrier of any specific safety trends and risks present in the operations of such rail carrier.
(3) Identification of risks. Upon notification of any specific safety trends, each railroad carrier shall be required to identify if the risk is present in the operations of the carrier, and update the railroad safety risk reduction program plan to reflect how the carrier intends to eliminate or reduce the risks identified by each trend.
(4) Explanation. If a railroad carrier determines a risk is not present, such carrier shall provide an explanation that includes the methods and relevant data used to determine that the risk is not present in the following annual report.
(k) Intermediary updates
(1) Significant operational change. If a railroad carrier implements a significant operational change that is not addressed in the current railroad safety risk reduction program plan more than 90 days before the annual submission of the audit of the carrier’s risk reduction program, then the railroad carrier shall submit an intermediary update to supplement the current plan.
(2) Contents. The Secretary shall ensure the intermediary update reflects the significant operational change and details the railroad carrier’s plans to eliminate, reduce, or mitigate any significant safety risks associated with the change.
(l) Significant operational change defined. In the section, the term significant operational change means material changes in policies or processes that may increase the rates of reportable incidents, accidents, injuries, or fatalities.
E Project Delivery
F Hazardous Materials Transportation